The easy money of just a few years ago spawned a new round of get-rich schemes — including the infamous Ponzi schemes.

Named for Charles Ponzi, who was convicted of bilking Italian immigrants of millions in Boston in the early 20th century, these schemes are boosted in a healthy economy — which enables the architect of the scheme to pay off earlier investors with money coming in from new investors.

And like the original Ponzi scheme — which was exposed during a weak economy, which became the Great Depression — today’s schemes are being outed by the lackluster economic environment.

Financial professionals are bracing themselves for the fallout from the latest Ponzi schemes. And with some analysts still predicting a double-dip recession, the fallout could be even more severe than what anyone expected.

The mark

The appeal, of course, is the pay out. A Ponzi pitch promising high returns of 8 percent to 10 percent might seem too good to pass up.

In reality, it may simply be too good to be true.

New retirees are particularly vulnerable to these schemes, since they are often unseasoned in money management and eager to stretch nest eggs.

“High returns and the promise of consistency, that’s a sweet spot for many retirees,” says Wendy Kowalik, a local financial planner and founder of Predico Partners. “Any returns that don’t fluctuate with the market should be your first red flag.”

In a healthy economy, these schemes can last for more than a decade — as money coming in from the latest round of investors is used to pay off those who bought in to the plan early.

Convicted investment fraudster Bernie Madoff of New York City; high-flying Houston financier Sir Allen Stanford, who stands accused of major banking and investment scam; and Ponzi himself are all evidence of how boom times can breed greed.

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